To the children of the ’80s, the only thing cooler than the idea of space camp is the idea behind this forgotten 80’s flick, in which Lea Thompson, Joaquin Phoenix, and their fellow teen team members must figure out how to land an actual space shuttle after a freak accident at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center launches them into outer space. It could have been one of the biggest movies of 1986 but then tragedy happened. When the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded in January of 86, so did the film’s marketing plan and hopes of blockbuster status. But thanks to VHS and HBO, it eventually found its audience and inspired future scientists, pilots and even astronauts.
So climb in the Space Shuttle, buckle up, and watch the oxygen levels as Tim Williams and guest co-hosts, Jeff Atkins, Ben Carpenter, and Nicholas Pepin (from "Pop Culture Roulette Podcast") discuss “SpaceCamp” from 1986 on this special bonus episode of the 80s Flick Flashback Podcast.
Here are some additional behind-the-scenes trivia we were unable to cover on this episode:
• The footage of the Space Shuttle Orbiter landing is from Challenger touching down at the conclusion of STS-8. This was the first night landing of the Space Shuttle program.
• In earlier drafts of the storyline, a Russian shuttle is sent up to rescue the American kids. At the end of the film, it was to be revealed that Russian kids had rescued the American kids.
Sources:
Wikipedia, IMDB, Rotten Tomatoes, Box Office Mojo,
https://www.al.com/life/2019/07/secrets-of-the-80s-spacecamp-movie-revealed.html
https://www.vulture.com/2020/01/disney-developing-a-tv-show-based-on-1986-space-camp-movie.html
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